Bruton Leads the Brave New Italian Craft Beer World
Still looking to Belgium or Germany for the latest in craft artisan beer trends. You may be looking in the wrong place. Think Italia!
The craft-beer world isn’y growing up, it’s mature. It has moved out of hip bars and specialty pubs and into uncharted territory: the home fridge. Specialty Italian brewmasters are leading the charge. Washing down a pizza with an ice-cold Moretti still has its appeal, but the current Italian craft beers are made with fine dining and sophisticated palettes in mind. Inspired by their local ingredient options, Italian craft beers are demanding the same focus and integrity typically reserved for fine wine.
In Italy, the vineyard continues to cast shadows over the brewery. But brewers embrace this dichotomy, mastering their beer with the herbs, grains and even the water from their local, fertile land, to capture the aura their Italian winemakers have popularised. While a liquorice and roast coffee ale might not fly in some parts of the world, Italian brewmasters can play almost wildly with the abundance of flavours readily available to them. And the resulting productions are wonderfully balanced, yet unique.
New regime Italian restaurants and bars love the beer because it's typically lighter, cleaner and less sweet than many high-end brews. Some of the top chefs in the world are not only serving Italian beer but cooking with it too. Because in the end, Italian brewmasters are foodies too.
Birra Bruton, a craft brewery from just outside Lucca on the banks of the Serchio River in the Tuscan region of Italy is one such example. They have been producing bottles of happiness since 2006 with an irreverent, bold and confident personality.
Bianca: Light, pallid and opalescent, produced using raw spelt and wheat. It is slightly acid and lightly spiced. Perfect with fresh goat’s cheese, burrata, and fish crudités, pinzimoni or simply as an aperitif. 4.5% ABV
Lilith: A beer with character, amber in colour and having a persistent head. Well-structured though very fresh, it gains its citrus and resinous scent with a clear bitter finish from the use of hops coming from both Europe and America. It is best with pork or fatty meats, dried meats and salamis or grilled meats. 5.5% ABV
Bruton Golden Ale: Light body and delicate aromas recall the flowery and herbal scents typical of the noble varieties of German and continental hops, with a touch of American varieties, making this a pleasantly sessionable beer. Marries well to all the menu, particularly entrees, white meats, salamis or simply to be enjoyed by itself. 5.5% ABV
Stoner: A light-golden beer. Fresh but potent to the nose with notes of apricot & candied fruit. Well balanced with hints of honey & fruit which pleasantly mask its fairly high alcoholic content. Excellent with cheddars, filled pasta, risottos, marrow and saffron based dishes, white meats, baked vegetables. 7.5% ABV
Birra Bruton is imported exclusively by Mercato Brands in the UK. For more information visit: https://mercatobrands.co.uk/bruton
